Pettine: 'Difficult' to replace Hoyer as starter

Summary of 4 articles · Updated May 9, 2014

Before the draft started, Browns coach Mike Pettine said it would be difficult for anyone in the draft class to beat out Brian Hoyer for the starting quarterback job. If the Cleveland Browns decide to draft a quarterback, new coach Mike Pettine says it wo… (more)n't be easy to unseat Brian Hoyer as the starter. I really believe that," Pettine told USA Today Sports. "I'm in this thing and I never want to leave Cleveland,'' Hoyer told cleveland.com in a phone interview Friday afternoon. Hoyer, who looked quick and healthy during seven-on-seven drills in minicamp last month, hasn't even considered leaving Cleveland for one second since Manziel was drafted No. 22 overall Thursday night. "Until someone tells me otherwise," he said, "I feel like I'm the starter for this team." That didn’t stop the Browns from ending a Thursday night spent hopping around the draft board with a trade up to secure the rights to Johnny Manziel and the frenzied reaction to that selection wasn’t because people were excited about him coming in as a backup.